Ipswich Treasure Hunt – Reader’s Feature

A GameCentral reader puts his local High Street shops to the test, with a shopping spree challenge to buy as many top quality games as possible for just £20.

Ipswich Town Hall – what video game bargains lie within its shadow?

With downloads and online shopping growing ever more prevalent I wanted to test if the High Street is still a viable option when it comes to purchasing games. My task was simple, trawl the shops in one town and see what I could secure spending no more than twenty pounds.Obviously I would only buy titles for the systems I own (original Xbox and PlayStation 3) and no dross, only titles held in high regard by GC and its readership. I admit to being cautiously optimistic when I set off in the car. By visiting every game selling establishment in town surely I would unearth some form of treasure?In particular I wanted to secure Dark Souls and envisioned many copies traded in by frustrated gamers, priced at around £15. The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection also featured on my wish list, but I seriously doubted if I did even find a copy it would be £20 or under. Ipswich is in Suffolk and the birthplace of Cardinal Wolsey and Ralph Fiennes . Nik Kershaw grew up there. The first commercially marketed powered lawnmower was built in Ipswich in 1902.Gamestation, 13 Carr StreetFirst shop, the anticipation is palpable, my wallet feels heavy I want to spend, spend, spend. This store appears small and is empty apart from the staff when I stroll in at 9am. Feeling a tad conspicuous I scan the shelves. First impressions aren’t good, I spy a copy of Portal 2 marked pre-owned £27. Ludicrous, isn’t Portal 2 on Platinum? Kingdoms Of Amalur also catches my eye, £19.99. To give the store its due it is running a 3 for 2 deal on a lot of the pre-owned games, you receive the cheapest stickered item free but nothing takes my fancy, I leave empty handed.CeX, 25 – 27 Upper Brook StreetMy favourite store in the town with a broad range of pre-owned stock across multiple platforms. They have a titanic wall of Xbox 360 games which unfortunately are no use to me. The PlayStation 3 section is towards the rear of the store in a slightly lonely corner. Crysis 2 for a tenner immediately appeals, Dynasty Warriors 6 for £15 makes me laugh. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is £8, I almost buy it there and then but decide to hold fast until I’ve exhausted all possibilities.GAME, 19 Tavern StreetI dislike this chain, I haven’t patronised them for easily four years, purely to complete this exercise I enter the shop. Portal 2 again is overpriced, £27. Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow looks attractive, pre-owned £9.99.HMV, 20 Tavern StreetI find it hard to tell which titles in here are pre-owned and which are new. I can’t even see Sleeping Dogs on display. What I do spot is the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, my heart leaps, but it’s £27.98, pre-owned. Dark Souls is here too, again pre-owned, again out of my price range at £24.98. Castlevania is £8.98, cheaper than in GAME.Blockbuster, 28-30 St Matthews StreetAnother empty store to feel slightly awkward in, two chirpy staff greet me when I enter, the games look expensive. Dark Souls: Limited Edition is £39.99, I don’t know if that’s a good price but with my budget I’m like a tramp ogling a Ferrari. Castlevania is £34, I hope that’s new. The staff sound less chirpy when I leave without buying anything. Their sad faces conjure guilt in me.Cash XChange, 35 Norwich RoadA pawn broking place, they have Apache Air Assault for £15 and Split/Second: Velocity for £7. Split/Second is tempting and GC rated Apache.Charity ShopsI must have visited at least six charity shops and they were all depressingly barren of games. It’s annoying to see some of the junk people donate, like VHS tapes which do nothing but clutter up the shelves. Personally I’ve given some top-rated games to Oxfam in Chelmsford, Red Dead Redemption for instance. Maybe the good stuff sells lightning fast. One shop has a Tucker’s Luck Annual for sale, from 1985. I’ve nothing against Todd Carty but this 27 year old niche publication is typical of the quality of goods on display.The ConclusionCeX draws me back, I pick up Brotherhood, Crysis 2 and nab Brute Force for £2 on impulse. Apparently Crysis 2 is wrongly ticketed and is £12 instead of £10, I leave it and buy Castlevania from HMV. Total money spent £18.98.To be honest the scarcity of bargains in High Street stores came as a disappointment, this is probably due to older titles being more in demand during the summer games drought. What struck me most of all was the lack of logic and consistency behind the pricing, especially regarding Portal 2.When I returned home I compared each item in my meagre haul to wares sold by an online retailer. Two out of the three second hand titles could be bought slightly cheaper online but there was barely a pound or two in it. In my opinion taking home a physical product and being able to play it on the day of purchase is worth paying a bit extra.Also shopping in the sunshine is much nicer than sitting indoors in front of a screen.By reader MSV

All this and £1.02 in change

The reader’s feature does not necessary represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

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